A well-designed hydronic heating system requires careful consideration of each component's type, location, and sizing. In this video, Bill Bailey, a hydronic system manager with 35 years of experience, provides an overview of the five major components of a typical hydronic heating system: terminal units, boilers, expansion systems, piping, and circulation.
Terminal units are devices or systems that take hot water from the boiler and provide heat to a room or building. This video discusses four types of terminal units: traditional radiator, baseboard units, radiant floor systems, and fan coil units.
The boiler is typically located in a mechanical room, serving as the heat source for the entire system. Bailey covers the main types of boilers: cast iron boiler, high-efficiency fire tube boiler and water tube boilers, and power burner boilers.
Expansion systems consist of three parts: an air eliminator, an expansion tank, and a backflow preventer with a pressure reducing valve (PRV).
Piping connects the components, allowing heated water from the boiler to reach the terminal units. Circulation, facilitated by circulators or pumps, overcomes friction losses in the system, ensuring efficient heat distribution.
Properly sizing and positioning these components are essential for achieving optimal efficiency in a hydronic heating system.
Watch more videos from Slipstream:
Troubleshooting Thermostat Wiring
Watch videos from the Facilities In Focus series:
How to Prevent Cybersecurity Attacks in Facility Management
From Gas to Electric: How Facilities are Converting Grounds Equipment
Bill Bailey is a contributor with Slipstream.
